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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
slow-paced
A really easy read, something light to follow my more recent reads. I appreciate the easy timeline and ease of following the characters and I wanted to root for Christina through the whole thing. I'd certainly read something else by this author.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a rich and detailed story. I was intrigued by the mixing of fact & fiction, taking the lives of two very real people & building a backstory. Of course I’d seen the painting ‘Christina’s World’ but had no idea of the story or anything about it. I was so drawn into the world that the author created that I took my time with it because I just enjoyed it so even if it was a difficult, painful life for Christina. Really well done.
I kept waiting for resolution for the main character, for her to find happiness but the only happiness she found was not quite what I expected. The book seemed sad to me, but I think that was the author's intention. It was written well enough, I suppose, just not an entirely satisfying read.
Continuing my TBR project:
This is one the oldest selection on my TBR list - Originally added August 14, 2017.
This is a fictionalized account about the subject of Andrew Wyeth 1948 painting, Christina’s World. I have always been attracted to that painting. So, I really enjoyed the story behind this mysterious woman.
This is one the oldest selection on my TBR list - Originally added August 14, 2017.
This is a fictionalized account about the subject of Andrew Wyeth 1948 painting, Christina’s World. I have always been attracted to that painting. So, I really enjoyed the story behind this mysterious woman.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This made me equally excited and nervous. I was excited to have finally won a book after many, many attempts. I was nervous that I wouldn't like it and that my negative review would seem ungrateful.
I didn't need to worry. This book is lovely. I was absolutely captivated by it, from the mention of a station wagon on the first page (I had erroneously assumed the station wagon was a product of the 1970s and had to do some research to figure out how a station wagon could make an appearance in a novel set in the 1940s) until the last beautiful line.
If you want to read this, I recommend that you read a version that gives you access to the author's notes at the end of the book because those are as fascinating as the book itself. You're welcome to borrow mine, but you have to promise to give it back.
I didn't need to worry. This book is lovely. I was absolutely captivated by it, from the mention of a station wagon on the first page (I had erroneously assumed the station wagon was a product of the 1970s and had to do some research to figure out how a station wagon could make an appearance in a novel set in the 1940s) until the last beautiful line.
If you want to read this, I recommend that you read a version that gives you access to the author's notes at the end of the book because those are as fascinating as the book itself. You're welcome to borrow mine, but you have to promise to give it back.
I read this book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club (March '17 selection). Usually, I'm a little put off by biographical fiction, perhaps especially with words and relationships overlaid on famous people. I was expecting that from this book as well, that there would be a lot of Wyeth and Christina, but Wyeth isn't present most of the time, and when he is, it's more the evidence of him in the house than his voice. So my wariness was quieted. I found myself underlining many observations and descriptions throughout the book, and that's a good sign...words or situations I want to remember.
Although it isn't an overt theme of the book, something that particularly caught my attention was the way that Christina's parents used up all of her love and fealty by forcing her to stay at home. Her father refused to let her get more than a junior-high education, and with her infirmities, she had little chance of escaping the family home, where she was an unpaid servant doing fairly hard labor despite her physical difficulties. Her brother, too, is forced to give up all his joy to care for the parents. This is such a cultural difference--that children, especially girls, are expected to serve their parents, rather than parents sacrificing for children.
I was somewhat disappointed in the ending of the book, a bit too quick, too neat, too obviously stated, a movie ending though not a fairy-tale ending. In a way, just when the tale was really interesting to me, it stopped.
Although it isn't an overt theme of the book, something that particularly caught my attention was the way that Christina's parents used up all of her love and fealty by forcing her to stay at home. Her father refused to let her get more than a junior-high education, and with her infirmities, she had little chance of escaping the family home, where she was an unpaid servant doing fairly hard labor despite her physical difficulties. Her brother, too, is forced to give up all his joy to care for the parents. This is such a cultural difference--that children, especially girls, are expected to serve their parents, rather than parents sacrificing for children.
I was somewhat disappointed in the ending of the book, a bit too quick, too neat, too obviously stated, a movie ending though not a fairy-tale ending. In a way, just when the tale was really interesting to me, it stopped.
This was a beautifully written, gentle read. I really felt like I lived in the big farmhouse with Christina and even could feel how she battled her affliction. She lived a simple yet difficult life with grace. It is not a fast paced page turner, but i looked forward to reading it every night and was a little sad when it ended.
This book is historical fiction inspired by the Andrew Wythe painting Christina’s World. Told from the POV of Christina, it is rather dark and harsh, but I couldn’t help but love her. The detailed descriptions of daily life on a coastal Maine farm give it a “Little House on the Prairie” feel. The love is there, but not the joy.